Demolition drive sparked uproar in Sanjay Gandhi National Park as hundreds gathered to protest. (Pics/Satej Shinde)
Hundreds of people, including men and women, gathered inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to oppose the demolition drive, leading to tense scenes in the protected area. The demolition drive sparked strong resistance from residents, which they claim have been their homes for generations
The forest department launched the drive targeting families in the Navapada area of SGNP, previously resettled at Chandivali in Powai under a rehabilitation program. Officials allege that some beneficiaries sold or rented out their allotted homes and later reoccupied forest land inside SGNP
Forest officials maintain that the action is part of legal measures to reclaim protected land. They cite violations by some families of the rehabilitation conditions. However, the residents claim that the demolition affects long-standing local communities
Amid the intense protest at the SGNP, police officials have been deployed, and no violence has yet been reported so far even though tension has been escalated
Protestors pointed out that the original order predates the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which became applicable to forest areas under municipal corporations in 2015. She said tribal communities should not be treated as encroachers and relocated to slum rehabilitation buildings without due process under the FRA
Amid heightened tension in the area, the SGNP administration announced that the park’s main entrance would remain closed to tourists and the general public on Tuesday, January 27
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